Essential Digestive Plus™ Ingredients Essential Digestive Plus is a professional strength enzyme which may aid digestion. Enzymes are produced by the body to help completely break down food for proper absorption. To digest food properly, especially cooked food, the body first releases ptyalin in the mouth as you chew your food. The stomach then secretes hydrochloric acid and pepsin to continue breaking down the food. The food travels to the small intestine, where it will spend several hours being digested. Upon entering the small intestine, the pancreas releases three main digestive enzymes: protease to digest protein; lipase to digest fat; and amylase to digest carbohydrates. Essential Digestive Plus contains Fruta-Fit® Inulin. These naturally occurring polysaccharides and prebiotics are known to support the formation and function of a well balanced gut flora. They do this by selectively stimulating the growth of Bifidobacterium to aid digestion and absorption of essential minerals and the synthesis of vital vitamins. Now with Added Peptidase and Protease for improved gluten digestion, because the fastest way to break down gluten is to cleave its peptide bonds both internally and externally.

What is Fruta-Fit® IQ Inulin?Inulins are a group of naturally occurring polysaccharides produced by many types of plants, industrially most often extracted from chicory. The inulins belong to a class of dietary fibres known as fructans.

Fruta-Fit® IQ Inulin is a prebiotic, a soluble dietary fibre. It is colourless and has neutral taste, so can be used as a fibre-enricher in many foodstuffs without affecting their appearance or taste.

Inulin is not digested or absorbed in the stomach. It goes to the large intestine, where bacteria are able to use the prebiotics to grow. These prebiotics support the growth of a special kind of bacteria that helps improve bowel function and general health. Inulin ingredients also decrease the body's ability to make certain kinds of fats. Generally, these ingredients are used by naturopathic practitioners for conditions of high blood cholesterol and triglycerides. Fruta-Fit® IQ Inulin may be helpful for use in these conditions as part of your regime, as well as for support to weight loss regimes, constipation, and as a food additive to improve taste.

What is Protease SP Blend?Protease is responsible for digesting proteins in your food, which is probably one of the most difficult substances to metabolize. Because of this, protease is considered to be one of the most important enzymes that we have. If the digestive process is incomplete, undigested protein can wind up in your circulatory system, as well as in other parts of your body.

When you take protease in higher quantities, it can help to clean up your body by removing the unwanted protein from your circulatory system. This will help to clean up your blood stream and restore your energy and balance.

Protease SP is a blend of bacterial and fungal proteases optimized to maximize their ability to break down proteins.

What are Protease 3 and Peptidase?A protease is also known as a peptidase or a proteinase. It is an enzyme that performs proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein. Proteases are used in medicine. The field of protease research is enormous. in 2004, approximately 8000 papers related to this field were published each year. Proteases are mainly known for their digestive action. However, certain proteases may also have a role in the regulation of growth and development of different cells and tissues. Proteases are thought to help control certain key mechanisms in processes such as clot formation, inflammation, and repair.

Protease 3 is an endopeptidase (alkaline protease) of the serine protease family. In human neutrophils, proteinase 3 (protease 3) contributes to the proteolytic generation of antimicrobial peptides. and cleaves antigens (proteins) in tissues, allowing primary antibodies to recognize and bind epitope(s) (the parts of the antigen that are recognised by the immune system).

What is Amylase?Amylase is a digestive enzyme that acts on starch in food, breaking it down into smaller carbohydrate molecules. Because it helps the body digest and excrete dead white blood cells, having optimum amylase activity helps in avoiding degenerative diseases. Without proper amylase activity, there may be excessive irritation. Low amylase is also thought to be a factor in a variety of diseases including type II diabetes, blood sugar imbalances, hypoglycemia, carbohydrate and sugar cravings, and many forms of food sensitivities.

The health benefits of amylase include supporting many other enzymes to provide their own support for digestion and immune system health.

What is Alpha Galactosidase?Alpha galactosidase is an enzyme that is derived from the fungus Aspergillus niger. The enzyme works in the digestive tract to break down the complex or branching sugars (polysaccharides and oligosaccharides) in foods such as legumes (beans and peanuts) and cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, etc.).

The enzyme breaks those complex sugars into simple sugars, making these foods more easily digestible, and reducing intestinal gas. Using an alpha-galactosidase enzyme may help in the treatment for both complex carbohydrate intolerance and regular gassiness.

What is Glucoamylase?Glucoamylase, also known as amyloglucosidase, is an enzyme preparation which decomposes starch into glucose by tearing-off glucose units from the non-reduced end of the polysaccharide chain. It breaks off a free glucose molecule from the complex chains that form starch or from the simpler sugar, maltose.

The glucose that is separated from the complex chain can then be used as a source of energy for the body, which is more absorbable and usable. This helps take the heavy load off of the process of digestion, having the potential to reduce many common problems such as heaviness, lethargy, bloating, gas and loose stools.

What is Lactase?Lactase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes milk sugar (lactose) into its component parts, glucose and galactose, and assists in the digestion dairy products such as, ice cream, milk and cheese.

Lactase enzyme has been found to have an affinity for helping digestive imbalances and lactose intolerance. It may therefore aid in the reduction of gas and bloating, and other irritations in the digestive tract.

What is Cellulase?Cellulase is produced naturally by different symbiotic fungi, protozoa, and bacteria that have the ability to catalyse cellulolysis (the breakdown of cellulose, a carbohydrate that is the major part of the outer cellular structure of vascular plants).

Cellulase enzymes aid in the hydrolysis of cellulose into energy-sustaining blood sugar, which may be contributory to the maintenance of blood sugar levels.

Aside from these helpful benefits, cellulose enzymes also aid in the mediation of biofilm formation from cellulose produced by many types of pathogens and in the breaking down the polysaccharides of microbial biofilms.

What is Invertase?Invertase, also known as beta-fructofuranosidase, is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis (breakdown) of sucrose (table sugar) into its component parts, glucose and fructose. It is generally derived from a beneficial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) and then purified for use either by itself or as a part of a multi-enzyme formula.

When combined with other carbohydrates, it is know to enhance the overall digestion of starch, sugar and other carbohydrates. Invertase’s ability to break down the bond between fructose and glucose makes it a vital part of the digestion of complex sugars into blood sugar (glucose), which can be used as a ready fuel source by the body.

What is Pectinase?Pectinase is an enzyme that breaks down pectin, a polysaccharide found in plant cell walls. Also referred to as pectic enzymes, they include pectolyase, pectozyme and polygalacturonase.

Commonly found in many fruits such as bananas and apples, pectinase plays an important role not only in the digestive processes but also in overall well-being. It helps promote the growth of the beneficial gut bacteria, supporting the digestion of plant-based foods and balancing their nutritional and prebiotic value.

What is Lipase?Lipase is an essential enzyme responsible for breaking down (hydrolyzing) fats (lipids) into smaller components that can readily be absorbed through the intestines.

This process occurs as lipase acts as catalyst during hydrolysis in which solid fats and oils are disassembled into their components, yielding monoglycerides, diglycerides, glycerol, and free fatty acids.

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